Field of the Invention
The field of the invention relates generally to computer systems and more particularly relates to a method and system for license server synchronization.
Description of the Related Art
Device manufacturers commonly sell products into different markets or price points, though the devices have similar bills of material and/or manufacturing cost. The manufacturer differentiates the devices by the capabilities they offer, for example a device with fewer capabilities may sell for a lower price than the same device with additional or more sophisticated capabilities. Issues arise when customers become interested in upgrading a device for more capabilities. A customer may have initially desired a device with fewer capabilities at the lower price point, and later decided the more sophisticated (and, consequently perhaps, more expensive) suite of capabilities is necessary or preferred. In terms of licensing, rights are defined on a host and licensed software gets tied to a hardware identity, limiting capability upgrade opportunities or hardware substitution.
Further, a customer may purchase a device through a service provider rather than from a manufacturer. Capabilities are enabled on the device per an agreement with the service provider and the manufacturer. If the customer experiences issues with the device, the manufacturer has no way of knowing what capabilities the device should have enabled because that is handled by the service provider.